Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Women in History Who Defied Traditional Gender Roles”

In this activity, students will research and present information on a woman from history who defied her culture’s social norms to complete a particular mission, pointing out ways in which this figure compares to Emma Edmonds.

Emma Edmonds is an example of a woman who chose to follow her own path in life, despite the strong gender norms and social expectations of her era. Working in small groups, select one woman from history who defied gender norms and social expectations to complete a particular mission. Use the following questions as you prepare your research:

• Who was this woman? What was her background and when did she live?
• How did she defy gender norms and social expectations of her time?
• What was the mission she sought to complete? How did she make a plan to do so? Who supported her, if anyone?
• What obstacles did she face? How did she overcome them? Was she caught or discovered? If so, how did her community respond to the situation?
• How do this woman’s ideals or actions exemplify or connect to the themes What Women Can Really Do, Appearance Determines Treatment, and The Need to Make a Difference?
• In what ways do this woman’s objectives or traits compare to Emma’s, based on text examples?

After preparing and practicing your presentation with your group, share your findings with the class. Include approved visuals or videos; utilize visual aids such as a poster or slideshow. Reference primary sources in your presentation.

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to open choices to world as well as American history. To extend discussion, after each presentation, students might speculate on the effect of each woman’s actions on future generations. For classes who are new to presenting researched information, a grading rubric that details structure of presentations and time management suggestions may be helpful.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from an opportunity in drama might act out an original script that conveys learned information about their figure. Representative props and costume pieces might add to the overall effect and offer a chance for additional creative and critical thinking. Group members who prefer a non-acting role might cap the performance with a summarized list of ways the subject compares to Emma.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text throughout your response to serve as examples and support.

1. Consider the traditional roles that men and women performed during the Civil War era.

• Summarize the nature of the differences between these roles. (topic sentence)
• Select 3 examples from the text that support your topic sentence. Explain how each example shows a difference in men’s and women’s roles during wartime.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize how stories like Emma’s demonstrate What Women Can Really Do in times of conflict.

2. Throughout the war, Emma dons a variety of different disguises and personas.

• What is the purpose behind choosing so many different disguises? (topic sentence)
• Explain 3 of Emma’s disguises in the novel. Analyze and discuss how each one helps her fulfill a mission. Would Emma have been successful without this disguise? Why or why not?
• In your concluding sentences, summarize how the types of Emma’s disguises relate to the theme of how Appearance Determines Treatment.

3. Over the course of her life, Emma fulfills many different roles: daughter, soldier, spy, nurse, writer, wife, and mother.

• What primary characteristic does Emma possess that contributes to her success in varied roles and tasks? (topic sentence)
• Explain how this characteristic helps Emma to respond to varied tasks. Analyze and discuss at least 3 tasks and her response to them in support of this topic sentence choice.
• In your concluding sentences, evaluate how this characteristic impacted Emma’s desire to make a difference.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider the secondary characters in the narrative such as James, Mrs. Butler, and Emma’s father. Who most influences Emma’s decisions? How do these secondary characters shape the way in which Emma determines her future? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, analyze and discuss the characters who impact Emma the most in her life. Use text details and cited quotations to support your ideas and rationale.

2. On several occasions, luck intervenes on Emma’s behalf. Choose 2-3 examples of luck to discuss. How would Emma’s situation change if luck did not come into play in these situations? In what ways does Emma’s luck “run out” in the narrative? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explore the role of luck in Emma’s experiences. Use text details and cited quotations to support your ideas and rationale.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words best describes Emma’s character?

A) Docile

B) Meek

C) Audacious

D) Apprehensive

2. What does Reit note about James’s death?

A) That it was a very unusual way to be killed in combat

B) That there were many other men who died like him during the war

C) That he was an example of how traitors were killed

D) That he was not buried but instead cremated

3. Which of the following types of text is inserted throughout the novel?

A) Musical lyrics

B) Bible verses

C) Presidential quotations

D) Confederate mottos

4. What does Emma realize about the Quaker logs?

A) That the Quakers are politically supporting the Confederate army

B) That the Confederate soldiers will use them to mimic real weaponry

C) That they are nicknames for special Canadian war guns

D) That guns made from a particular Quaker wood are stronger than Union weapons

5. Which linguistic tactic does Reit use in order to signify Emma’s changing appearances?

A) He uses historical asides to speak about the political situations.

B) He adopts the appropriate pronouns based on her persona.

C) He references historical figures to make comparisons of her appearance.

D) He only uses direct quotations from Emma when she is in character.

6. Based on her interaction with Allen Hall, which statement can be made about Emma’s character?

A) She is cautious in taking risks related to sickness or infection.

B) She is empathetic to people, regardless of their political affiliations.

C) She is strongly critical of non-Confederates.

D) She is determined to make every enemy suffer, no matter the consequences.

7. Which of the following words best describes the battle between Confederate and Union forces at the Chickahominy river?

A) Quick

B) Amicable

C) Laborious

D) One-sided

8. How does Dr. Hodes feel about Emma’s continuous deployment from hospital work?

A) Relieved

B) Proud

C) Apathetic

D) Bothered

9. In Chapter 12, Reit includes the sentence: “The colonel signed the furlough papers and handed them to Private Thompson. ‘You've earned a good rest,’ he said. ‘Take two weeks; look after that arm of yours.’” Which word best describes the meaning of furlough in this quote?

A) Dismissal

B) Enlistment

C) Absence

D) Payment

10. Which phrase is true about Emma’s reputation?

A) That she is in high-demand

B) That she works best in the medical field

C) That she was given too many opportunities in espionage

D) That she is overshadowed by James

11. Which of the following words best describe Kentucky’s official political affiliation prior to General Kirby Smith’s invasion during the Civil War?

A) Union

B) Confederate

C) Neutral

D) Apathetic

12. Which character serves as Emma’s confidant throughout the text?

A) Mr. Butler

B) Mrs. Butler

C) James

D) Allen

13. Which of the following roles does the “imp voice” play in Emma’s life?

A) Telling her to give up

B) Reminding her of her father

C) Pushing her to trying something new

D) Judging her for being deceitful

14. Which phrase best describes Emma’s life in the two final years of the war?

A) Recovering from illness in Illinois

B) Working in various hospitals in Washington

C) Participating in espionage work under a pseudonym in Virginia

D) Scheming on how to infiltrate enemy lines in Kentucky

15. Based on the ending of Reit’s text, which word best describes the legacy of Emma’s work for the Union army?

A) Disrespected

B) Blacklisted

C) Admonished

D) Revered

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What genre is Behind Rebel Lines? What type of sources does Reit use in order to support his text? What elements of storytelling help to create an effective account of Emma Edmonds’s experiences?

2. How do the different identities that Emma adopts in the story compare? Which of these are more constant than others? Who knows Emma’s real identity?